Answer:
The Shulkhan Arukh (Orach Chaiim 343) provides a general guideline for
raising children in an obervant home: As soon as a child is educable,
the parents should teach the child about observance. Thus, even a
three-year old (who, as a halakhic minor is not obligated to observe
Shabbat) should be taught the relevant rudiments of Shabbat
observance. This does not mean that the parent must take away a rattle
or battery-powered toy, but it does mean that, on Shabbat, the child
should be encouraged to play Shabbat-appropriate games. The R'ma and
the Mishna Brurah (loc. cit.) point out that, by the time a child
understands what Shabbat is (e.g., certainly by age 8), the child
should be avoiding blatant Shabbat violation. The Shulkan Arukh's
standard thus does not see the age of majority (13 for boys, 12 for
girls) as a threshold for observance, and does not permit Shabbat
violation by "educable" children (i.e., children above the age of 8 or
so).
In addition to the standard 39 classes of activities ("m'lakhot")
forbidden on Shabbat, there is a prohibition against activities that
are inconsistent with the spirit of Shabbat. The Ramban, for example,
suggests that the obligation to "rest" ("shvita") on Shabbat is, in
fact, biblical; it is in any event certainly a major rabbinic
obligation.
Thus, there are two general principles: Begin with Shabbat-appropriate
games and play as early as is practical, and encourage Shabbat-
appropriate activity, rather than Shabbat-inappropriate activity (even
if such activity does not inherently violate Shabbat).
What kinds of games and play are Shabbat-appropriate? Certainly
activities with substantial Jewish content (e.g., board games with
Jewish themes, available from many Jewish bookstores). Family
activities should also be encouraged; reading stories, reviewing
relevant parts of the weekly Torah portion, etc. Friday night bed-time
can become a special occasion for hearing stories of "when Grandpa was
young," or Chelm stories, or stories about SuperJew. When done
appropriately, children see Shabbat as a special treat, not as a day
when "we don't do these things."
Some children's games [e.g., those involving explicit violations of
halakha, such as games involving writing] are clearly inappropriate
for Shabbat in an observant Orthodox or Conservative family. There is
nothing wrong with saying "No, we do not paint on Shabbat." But it is
educationally a much sounder practice to say "We don't ride bikes on
Shabbat, but we do hear stories about Curious George going to shul."
In some cases, the question of whether a particular activity is
permissible on Shabbat requires halakhic expertise, and a rabbi should
be consulted. For example, Conservative authorities permit swimming on
Shabbat; most Orthodox authorities do not.
Note that some Orthodox authorities rule that ball-playing is
technically allowed within an eruv, based on the OH 306:45 and the
Rama's gloss and the Mishneh Berurah's note on this. However, this is
widely discouraged by rabbis as not being in the spirit of Shabbat.
Rabbi Neuwirth's Shmirat Shabbat k'Hilkhata states that playing ball
on Shabbat is okay for children, provided that it is within the eruv
and on artificial surfaces. The reason for this is that Orthodox
authorities feel that compacting dirt is a violation of a melakha
(forbidden Shabbat activity); thus the restriction to hard surfaces.
However, this should be checked with a local rabbi to determine
whether it is appropriate for your particular community; don't assume
beforehand that it is.
For those that follow Conservative practice, in "A Guide to Jewish
Religious Practice", Rabbi Issac Klein rules that some ball playing is
allowed on Shabbat, based on the Rama on OH 308:45, as long as we
distinguish between commercialized sports and activities one indulges
in for personal enjoyment. Commercialized sports and amusements are
obviously not reccomended because of the many violations of the
Sabbath that are involved. Individual sports and amusements in
themselves, where no other violation of the Sabbath is involved, are
permissible. Again, a key aspect is that one should avoid
participating in such activities to the point of overexertion and
fatigue, which would make the act not in the spirit of the Sabbath."
Hence, as a general principle, the best policy would be to give
children lots of experience with Shabbat as a day for enjoyable
Shabbat-appropriate activities, either synagogue- or family-centered.
The emphasis should be on "shabbat-appropriate" activities.

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